Apparatus for tensioning a ski-touring binding
OwnerOliver Steffen, James Shawinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for tensioning the cable or bail of a ski-touring binding, a tensioning lever for such apparatus, and a replacement component for the lever are provided. The apparatus provides different tension for walking and for skiing. The lever includes a handle and a pivot for rotational engagement of the lever on the cable or bail. The pivot is located between the handle and a plurality of boot heel holders. The holders are configured such that at least one holder will contact the ski boot heel at a different distance relative to the pivot than another of the holders. The replacement component is removably fixed to the lever and is configured to provide a heel holder surface and to retain a bail or cable in rotational engagement with the lever.
Claims22
An apparatus for tensioning a cable or bail of a ski-touring binding on a heel of a ski boot, the apparatus comprising a lever including a handle, first and second heel holders, and a pivot for rotational engagement of the lever to said cable or bail, wherein the pivot is located between the handle and said first and second holders, said holders being configured such that the first holder will contact said ski boot heel at a different distance relative to the pivot than the second holder.
A heel tensioning lever for a ski-touring binding, the lever comprising:
- means for actuating the lever and for contacting a rear portion of a ski boot;
- rotational means for engagement with a cable or bail of the binding, the rotational means having a rotational center;
- and
- a plurality of means for clamping engagement with a heel of a boot sole, each of said clamping means having a surface for contacting cable engagement means on the heel, wherein each contacting surface has a point at a minimum distance to the rotational center with the minimum distance for at least one of said contacting surfaces being less than the minimum distance for another of the contacting surfaces and wherein the clamping means having a lessor minimum distance for its contacting surface will provide lesser tensioning of the cable or bail then clamping means having a greater minimum distance for its contacting surface.
A replacement component for a heel tensioning lever for a ski-touring binding, the lever comprising a handle, a plurality of boot heel holders, and a pivot for rotational engagement of the lever with a cable or bail of said binding, wherein at least one of the heel holders and the handle form an integral component, wherein the replacement component is configured to be removably fixed to said integral component to provide another of said heel holders on the lever, and to retain the bail or cable of the binding in rotational engagement with the tensioning lever at the pivot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.